Article
Clinical Neurology
Chiara Lucifora, Giorgio M. Grasso, Michael A. Nitsche, Giovanni D'Italia, Mauro Sortino, Mohammad A. Salehinejad, Alessandra Falzone, Alessio Avenanti, Carmelo M. Vicario
Summary: This study examined the association between circadian rhythms and fear responses, and found that individuals with an evening chronotype showed enhanced fear acquisition compared to controls. This may explain the higher vulnerability of individuals with an evening chronotype to anxiety and related disorders.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Vanessa A. van Ast, Floris Klumpers, Raoul P. P. P. Grasman, Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos, Karin Roelofs
Summary: Freezing in response to impending threat is a core defensive mechanism in humans. Research has shown that human freezing is highly sensitive to fear conditioning and intensifies with the proximity of threat. This animal-like freezing response aids in active preparation for unexpected attacks and captures real-life expressions of anxiety.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
I Nahmoud, J. Ganay Vasquez, H. Cho, T. Dennis-Tiwary, E. Likhtik
Summary: Research indicates that high anxiety animals benefit from salient safety training to improve exploration and discrimination of new non-threatening stimuli.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Alexandra K. Gold, M. Alexandra Kredlow, Scott P. Orr, Catherine A. Hartley, Michael W. Otto
Summary: This study compared skin conductance response outcomes between Asian and White individuals in a fear conditioning paradigm. The results showed that Asian individuals had significantly smaller mean differential SCR compared to White individuals, but no other between-group differences were observed. This is the first study to evaluate differences in skin conductance outcomes between Asian and White individuals, and it found subtle but non-significant differences in SCR.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Einat Elharrar, Yahav Dikshtein, Sapir Meninger-Mordechay, Yehuda Lichtenstein, Gal Yadid
Summary: Recent research shows that inhibiting PARP-1 activity can interfere with fear conditioning and reduce freezing behavior. By controlling the pharmacokinetic timing, it is possible to specifically disrupt cue-associated fear memories without interfering with other natural memories.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Lena Jellestad, Thomas Zeffiro, Marco Piccirelli, Jolanda Malamud, Benedikt B. M. Klimke, Katrin Rauen, Michael Rufer, Scott P. Orr, Christoph Mueller-Pfeiffer
Summary: This study examined the efficacy of pursuit eye movements in interfering with the reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories. The results showed that participants who performed pursuit eye movements during the reinstatement phase had significantly reduced fear-conditioned skin conductance responses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Patrick Vizeli, Isabelle Straumann, Urs Duthaler, Nimmy Varghese, Anne Eckert, Martin P. Paulus, Victoria Risbrough, Matthias E. Liechti
Summary: This study aims to explore the potential of MDMA as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its mechanism of action. The results show that MDMA treatment can enhance fear extinction learning and recall, but this effect may be limited to certain forms of learned fear responses. Additionally, MDMA does not influence fear reactions to conditioned cues.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shihao Huang, Yu Zhou, Feilong Wu, Cuijie Shi, He Yan, Liangpei Chen, Chang Yang, Yixiao Luo
Summary: This study found that berberine combined with extinction training can effectively promote the extinction of fear memories and prevent their reinstatement and spontaneous recovery. This finding provides a new potential avenue for the treatment of fear-related disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yuanhui Li, Nan Li, Liqun Zhang, Yanru Liu, Tianjiao Zhang, Dai Li, Dexiang Bai, Xiang Liu, Lingjiang Li
Summary: This study develops a fear-potentiated startle paradigm and a machine learning approach to accurately predict PTSD symptoms in Chinese firefighters. The machine learning model can identify firefighters with a PCL-C score of 38 or above with sensitivity and specificity both above 0.85 when 5-fold cross validated on a 1107-person sample.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Bjoern Elsner, Benedikt Reuter, Mahboba Said, Clas Linnman, Norbert Kathmann, Jan-Carl Beucke
Summary: The study found that OCD patients exhibit impaired differential learning of threatening versus safe stimuli in a Pavlovian fear conditioning task, particularly during fear acquisition. In contrast to previous findings, the impact of these learning impairments was primarily seen in fear acquisition, rather than in the reversal stage of the experiment.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Julia S. Yarrington, Meghan Vinograd, Alexander L. Williams, Kate B. Wolitzky-Taylor, Richard E. Zinbarg, Susan Mineka, Allison M. Waters, Michelle G. Craske
Summary: This study used SR and SCR to predict longitudinal changes in anxiety and depression symptoms. The results showed that SR and SCR were associated with an increase in these symptom factors over time.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Michael W. Lewis, Daniel E. Bradford, Eylul Akman, Kevin Frederiks, Scott L. Rauch, Isabelle M. Rosso
Summary: Unconditioned responding (UCR) to an aversive stimulus is associated with defensive responding during fear acquisition, but its relationships with extinction training, PTSD symptom severity, and fearful traits are unknown. This study found that UCR, particularly unconditioned startle, is positively associated with defensive responding and fearful traits, but not with PTSD symptom severity.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jelena M. Wehrli, Yanfang Xia, Samuel Gerster, Dominik R. Bach
Summary: Trace fear conditioning is an important research paradigm for studying aversive learning, but the optimal measurement of memory retention is unclear. This study used psychophysiological measurements to investigate CS+ and CS- differentiation in a recall test, and found that fear-potentiated startle response was the most effective measure.
Article
Neurosciences
Khadijah Shanazz, Rachael Dixon-Melvin, Rebecca Nalloor, Riya Thumar, Almira I. Vazdarjanova
Summary: According to animal experiments, there are differences in the expression of fear memories between female and male rats. Female rats tend to express fear memories through active motor responses, which is referred to as "Anxioescapic" behavior strategy. There is no significant difference in fear learning between female and male rats.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Patrick A. F. Laing, Ben J. Harrison
Summary: Safety learning, the process by which organisms utilize safety information to inhibit fear and anxiety in nonthreatening environments, remains inconsistently defined and under-researched. Although Pavlovian conditioned inhibition presents a theoretically sound model for safety learning, it has been investigated infrequently and with notable methodological variability, indicating that its full potential remains untapped. We propose revisiting conditioned inhibition as a framework for addressing timely questions in the behavioural and clinical sciences.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
N. G. Harnett, N. M. Dumornay, M. Delity, L. D. Sanchez, K. Mohiuddin, P. I. Musey, M. J. Seamon, S. A. McLean, R. C. Kessler, K. C. Koenen, F. L. Beaudoin, L. A. M. Lebois, S. J. H. van Rooij, N. A. Sampson, V Michopoulos, J. L. Maples-Keller, J. P. Haran, A. B. Storrow, C. Lewandowski, P. L. Hendry, S. Sheikh, C. W. Jones, B. E. Punches, M. C. Kurz, R. A. Swor, M. E. McGrath, L. A. Hudak, J. L. Pascual, S. L. House, X. An, J. S. Stevens, T. C. Neylan, T. Jovanovic, S. D. Linnstaedt, L. T. Germine, E. M. Datner, A. M. Chang, C. Pearson, D. A. Peak, R. C. Merchant, R. M. Domeier, N. K. Rathlev, B. J. O'Neil, P. Sergot, S. E. Bruce, M. W. Miller, R. H. Pietrzak, J. Joormann, D. M. Barch, D. A. Pizzagalli, J. F. Sheridan, J. W. Smoller, B. Luna, S. E. Harte, J. M. Elliott, K. J. Ressler
Summary: Racial and ethnic differences exist in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among various groups in the USA. While there are no consistent racial/ethnic differences in posttraumatic stress in the early aftermath of trauma, it appears that differences in chronic PTSD rates may be related to differences in recovery over time. In this study, racial/ethnic groups did not differ in symptoms over time, but Black participants showed reduced posttraumatic depression and anxiety symptoms compared to Hispanic and White participants. These differences in depression and anxiety were no longer significant after accounting for greater prior trauma exposure and childhood emotional abuse in White participants.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Family Studies
Alexandra D. W. Sullivan, Zoe M. F. Brier, Alison C. Legrand, Katherine van Stolk-Cooke, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth D. Norrholm, Hugh Garavan, Rex Forehand, Matthew Price
Summary: This study examined the risk of psychological pathology in emerging adults with a history of childhood maltreatment and the influence of positive parenting on PTSD symptom severity and a transdiagnostic maladjustment biomarker. The findings suggest that positive parenting can moderate the increase in reactivity and provide better psychological outcomes for emerging adults with childhood maltreatment histories.
CHILD MALTREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Christopher W. Jones, Xinming An, Yinyao Ji, Mochuan Liu, Donglin Zeng, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Jennifer S. Stevens, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Brittany E. Punches, Michael S. Lyons, Michael C. Kurz, Robert A. Swor, Meghan E. McGrath, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Elizabeth M. Datner, Erica Harris, Anna M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, Mark W. Miller, Robert H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, John F. Sheridan, Jordan W. Smoller, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Karestan C. Koenen, Kerry J. Ressler, Ronald C. Kessler, Samuel A. McLean
Summary: The study aimed to develop and validate a simple bedside clinical decision support tool for identifying emergency department patients at high risk of substantial posttraumatic stress symptoms after a motor vehicle collision. The tool consisted of 8 questions and showed good discriminative ability and predictive accuracy in risk assessment.
ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anthony N. Reffi, Christopher L. Drake, David A. Kalmbach, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth D. Norrholm, Thomas Roth, Melynda D. Casement, Philip Cheng
Summary: This study examines how pre-pandemic sleep reactivity predicts stress reactions and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that higher pre-pandemic sleep reactivity is associated with more stress reactions and depression. Additionally, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia mitigates the relationship between pre-pandemic sleep reactivity and stress reactions.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nathaniel G. G. Harnett, Negar Fani, Sierra Carter, Leon D. D. Sanchez, Grace E. E. Rowland, William M. M. Davie, Camilo Guzman, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Timothy D. D. Ely, Sanne J. H. van Rooij, Antonia V. V. Seligowski, Sterling Winters, Lana R. R. Grasser, Paul I. I. Musey Jr, Mark J. J. Seamon, Stacey L. L. House, Francesca L. L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. C. Neylan, Gari D. D. Clifford, Sarah D. D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. T. Germine, Kenneth A. A. Bollen, Scott L. L. Rauch, John P. P. Haran, Alan B. B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Phyllis L. L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. W. Jones, Brittany E. E. Punches, Robert A. A. Swor, Lauren A. A. Hudak, Jose L. L. Pascual, Erica Harris, Anna M. M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. A. Peak, Roland C. C. Merchant, Robert M. M. Domeier, Niels K. K. Rathlev, Steven E. E. Bruce, Mark W. W. Miller, Robert H. H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. M. Barch, Diego A. A. Pizzagalli, Steven E. E. Harte, James M. M. Elliott, Ronald C. C. Kessler, Karestan C. C. Koenen, Samuel A. A. McLean, Tanja Jovanovic, Jennifer S. S. Stevens, Kerry J. J. Ressler
Summary: Considerable racial/ethnic disparities persist in exposure to life stressors and socioeconomic resources that affect the amygdala. Limited work has investigated potential racial/ethnic variability in amygdala reactivity or connectivity related to outcomes such as PTSD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
John McClellan, Tanja Jovanovic
Summary: Human studies have identified neural circuits in the brain that are activated by fearful stimuli. Recent research has used data-driven methods to derive brain biotypes that describe individual variation in psychopathology and identify individuals at greater risk for fear-based disorders. This review discusses how leveraging fear neurobiology studies can lead to improved treatment.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Felix Duplessis-Marcotte, Raphael Lapointe, Sonia J. Lupien, Marie-France Marin
Summary: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased alcohol use in a third of the global population. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the stress hormone cortisol and subjective stress on alcohol use during the first year of the pandemic. The results showed that alcohol use increased only among individuals with high subjective stress and elevated cortisol levels, and this increased alcohol use persisted one year later.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Archana Basu, Yinyao Ji, Mochuan Liu, Ronald C. Kessler, Robert F. Doughtery, Donglin Zeng, Kenneth A. Bollen, Stacey L. House, Jennifer S. Stevens, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Michael C. Kurz, Robert A. Swor, Vishnu P. Murty, Meghan E. McGrath, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Elizabeth M. Datner, Anna M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, Justin T. Baker, Jutta Joormann, Mark W. Miller, Robert H. Pietrzak, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, John F. Sheridan, Jordan W. Smoller, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Karestan C. Koenen, Kerry J. Ressler, Samuel A. McLean
Summary: The study aimed to characterize adverse posttraumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) symptom trajectories in a large sample of motor vehicle collision survivors. They found that APNS across ten symptom domains were common in the first two months after trauma, and many risk factors and associations were shared across domains.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Lana Ruvolo Grasser, Bassem Saad, Celine Bazzi, Hiba Abu Suhaiban, Dalia F. Mammo, Ragda Izar, Noor Abou Rass, Sterling J. Winters, Raya Nashef, Ayat Abed Ali, Arash Javanbakht, Tanja Jovanovic
Summary: Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) can be used as a biomarker to measure fear and safety learning behaviors affected by trauma, particularly in youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a study on Syrian youth exposed to war trauma, it was found that FPS during fear extinction was associated with symptoms of PTSD. The results suggest the potential use of trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy based on extinction learning principles for youth with PTSD.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Yara Mekawi, Martha N. Ishiekwene, Asha N. Jimenez, Maryam Ware, Sierra E. Carter, Anais F. Stenson, Tanja Jovanovic, Bekh Bradley-Davino, Abigail Powers
Summary: This study found that experiences of racism among Black mothers are associated with both maternal and child depression. Maternal experiences of racism indirectly influence child depression through the effect of maternal depression. The study also found that the level of maternal trauma exposure moderates the indirect effect of racism on child depression.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samantha A. Wong, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Timothy D. Ely, Sanne J. H. van Rooij, Steven E. Bruce, Vishnu P. Murty, Tanja Jovanovic, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Michael C. Kurz, Robert A. Swor, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Mark W. Miller, Robert H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Ronald C. Kessler, Karestan C. Koenen, Samuel A. McLean, Kerry J. Ressler, Jennifer S. Stevens, Nathaniel G. Harnett
Summary: Childhood trauma has a significant impact on white matter microstructure and future posttraumatic dysfunction. The internal capsule (IC) microstructure plays a crucial role in connecting childhood trauma with PTSD symptoms, while other white matter tracts do not show such mediation. This study highlights the importance of IC as a stable neural pathway between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Dominik R. Bach, Juliana Sporrer, Rany Abend, Tom Beckers, Joseph E. Dunsmoor, Miquel A. Fullana, Matthias Gamer, Dylan G. Gee, Alfons Hamm, Catherine A. Hartley, Ryan J. Herringa, Tanja Jovanovic, Raffael Kalisch, David C. Knight, Shmuel Lissek, Tina B. Lonsdorf, Christian J. Merz, Mohammed Milad, Jayne Morriss, Elizabeth A. Phelps, Daniel S. Pine, Andreas Olsson, Carien M. van Reekum, Daniela Schiller
Summary: This article introduces a laboratory model called fear conditioning, which is widely used to investigate learning, memory, and psychopathology. Quantification of learning in this model is diverse in humans, and establishing psychometric properties of different quantification methods can be challenging. To address this issue, the researchers propose a calibration procedure in which well-defined values are generated to serve as a validity criterion for ranking methods. They develop a specific calibration protocol for fear conditioning in humans and suggest 25 design variables for measurement calibration. The general calibration process outlined in this study can be used as a blueprint for refining measurements in other subfields of behavioral neuroscience.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Lisa Seifried, Elaheh Soleimanpour, Daniela C. C. Dieterich, Markus Fendt
Summary: The study showed that cognitive flexibility is higher in pubertal mice than in adult mice, and this difference is related to distinct expression of NMDA receptor subunits. Cognitive flexibility was increased during puberty, particularly in female mice. The GluN2A subunit of the NMDA receptor was more expressed during puberty and pharmacological blockade of GluN2A reduced cognitive flexibility. In adult mice, the expression of GluN2A, GluN2B, and GluN2C in the orbitofrontal cortex correlated positively with performance in the attentional set shifting task, while in pubertal mice this correlation was observed only for GluN2C. This study confirms the observation in humans that cognitive flexibility is higher during puberty and suggests future research should explore the potential use of NMDA receptor subunit-specific agonists in human diseases with cognitive flexibility deficits.
Editorial Material
Psychology, Clinical
Tanja Jovanovic, Andrea Roberts, Anke Huels
Summary: This commentary summarizes the discussions of a panel at the 2022 ISTSS annual meeting, which focused on the intergenerational transmission of trauma from a biological perspective. The panel included scholars from various disciplines, who shared their approaches to understanding the underlying mechanisms of this transmission. The commentary synthesizes the current knowledge gained from these different approaches and identifies future directions for research.
JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Corinne Meinhausen, Gabriel J. Sanchez, Donald Edmondson, Ian M. Kronish, Joseph E. Schwartz, Rebecca Hinrichs, Tanja Jovanovic, Jennifer A. Sumner
Summary: This study explores a potential biomarker of PTSD risk, skin conductance (SC) measurement, in a medical trauma population. It found a significant positive association between SC reactivity to recalling the traumatic event and fear-related symptoms of PTSD at 1-month follow-up. These findings suggest that mobile SC reactivity measures may be useful for identifying individuals at risk for fear-related PTSD symptoms following a medical event and shed light on the potential mechanisms involved in their development.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Radwa H. Lutfy, Sherine Abdel Salam, Haitham S. Mohammed, Marwa M. Shakweer, Amina E. Essawy
Summary: Insufficient sleep is associated with impaired hypothalamic activity and declined attentional performance. This study found that near-infrared (NIR) laser therapy can alleviate the effects of sleep deprivation on the hypothalamus, enhance antioxidant status, suppress neuroinflammation, and regulate cellular activity.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Durmus Ali Aslanlar, Emin Fatih Visneci, Mehmet Oz, K. Esra Nurullahoglu Atalik
Summary: Mood disorders caused by chemotherapy have become more important as cancer patients' survival increases. This study used methotrexate to induce mood disorders in rats and found that treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can alleviate anxiety and depression-like behaviors, increase antioxidant capacity, reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and regulate brain chemistry. The findings suggest that NAC treatment could be an effective strategy in revising the treatment for individuals suffering from chemotherapy-induced mood disorders.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Yunfan Zhang, Yunbin Zhang, Zhuangfei Chen, Ping Ren, Yu Fu
Summary: This study systematically investigated the effects of extremely low intensity HF-rTMS on cognition in mice and found that 40 Hz rTMS significantly impaired exploratory behavior and spatial memory at both 10 mT and 1 mT conditions. Additionally, 40 Hz stimulation had remarkably different effects on exploratory behavior depending on intensity, compared to 10 Hz stimulation.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xuan Xuan, Guangling Zheng, Wenjia Zhu, Qionghua Sun, Yawei Zeng, Juan Du, Xusheng Huang
Summary: This study examines the functional characteristics of the cerebellum in individuals with sALS and their correlation with clinical data. The results show changes in both local and global functional connectivity in the cerebellum of sALS patients, suggesting a pathophysiological role of the cerebellum in sALS.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mehdi Rezaei, Mohammad Mahdi Shariat Bagheri
Summary: This study examined the efficacy of tDCS for PTSD and related symptoms, as well as the factors that may predict response to tDCS. The results showed that tDCS had a positive effect in reducing symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and anhedonia. The severity of symptoms at baseline may also predict the response to tDCS.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Huimin Wu, Yiqun Guo, Yaoyao Zhang, Le Zhao, Cheng Guo
Summary: Aggression can have serious consequences, but little is known about its personality and neurological origins in children. This study investigated the relationship between self-esteem, aggression, and brain structure in healthy children, and found that self-esteem was negatively associated with aggression. The study also revealed that increased cortical thickness in certain brain areas may be a potential mechanism linking low self-esteem to aggression in children.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xinmei Deng, Kexin Chen, Xiaoming Chen, Lin Zhang, Mingping Lin, Xiaoqing Li, Qiufeng Gao
Summary: Parental involvement affects the relationship and communication between parents and adolescents. This study found that high parental involvement is associated with stronger brain-to-brain synchrony during shared positive emotional experiences, while low parental involvement is associated with stronger synchrony during shared negative emotional experiences.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xin Deng, I. -Shuo Huang, Kourtlin Williams, Marcy L. Wainwright, Paul Zimba, Riccardo Mozzachiodi
Summary: Food deprivation can lead to neurological dysfunctions, including memory impairment. This study used Aplysia as an animal model to investigate the memory deficits caused by prolonged food deprivation. The results showed that 14 days of food deprivation decreased the level of 5-HT in the hemolymph, which contributed to the lack of sensitization and its cellular correlates. However, exogenous application of 5-HT partially induced sensitization in the food deprived animals.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ihori Kobayashi, Patrick A. Forcelli
Summary: The study found that intervention with the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant did not have the expected effects on extinction memory and sleep. Higher percentages of REM sleep were associated with poorer extinction memory recall and stronger fear responses. Additionally, the fear extinction training protocol used in this study did not lead to complete fear extinction.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jiyan Xu, Xinlu Chen, Shuai Liu, Ziqi Wei, Minhui Xu, Linhao Jiang, Xue Han, Liangyu Peng, Xiaoping Gu, Tianjiao Xia
Summary: This study investigated the effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on oxidative stress and cognitive function in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) mice. The results showed that NMN pretreatment reduced oxidative stress damage and alleviated cognitive impairment in POCD mice.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Song Liu, Qiang Wu, Liyue Wang, Cong Xing, Junrui Guo, Baicao Li, Hongpeng Ma, Hao Zhong, Mi Zhou, Shibo Zhu, Rusen Zhu, Guangzhi Ning
Summary: In this study, a systematic assessment indicator was developed to objectively evaluate hindlimb motor function recovery in rats after thoracic contusion SCI. By screening CatWalk XT gait parameters and using exploratory factor analysis, 38 suitable parameters for assessing motor function were identified. A reliable Coordinated Function Index (CFI) was proposed based on these parameters and simplified for improved assessment efficacy.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kyosuke Shiga, Shota Miyaguchi, Yasuto Inukai, Naofumi Otsuru, Hideaki Onishi
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on microscale learning in implicit motor tasks. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that the stimulation protocol had no significant effects on microscale learning, revealing a novel aspect of microscale learning in implicit motor tasks.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Cahide Aslan, Rahime Aslankoc, Ozlem Ozmen, Buse Nur Suluk, Oguzhan Kavrik, Nurhan Gumral
Summary: This study examined the negative effects of high fructose corn syrup on prefrontal cortex damage in adolescent rats, as well as the protective role of vitamin D.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Matin Baghani, Arad Bolouri-Roudsari, Reyhaneh Askari, Abbas Haghparast
Summary: The study suggests that the orexinergic system in the dentate gyrus region of the brain may act as an endogenous pain control system and a potential target for treating stress-related disorders.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sen Zhou, Yang Liu, Binbin Xue, Peigen Yuan
Summary: This study confirmed that low-dose Esketamine alleviates LPS-induced depressive symptoms by regulating the GSK-3 beta/NLRP3 pathway. Appropriate doses of Esketamine are essential for the treatment of depression in the clinical setting.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)